Simmons Slam Keys 4-1 Win at Akron

Friday, April 20

Akron, OH

3:00 PM ET

Bowling Green State University

22-19, 5-9

Akron

2-35-1, 1-15

Bowling Green

Akron

Laine Simmons v Miami - Apr 4 2017 G1 - Amanda Cutcher photo

April 20, 2018 | Softball

Box Score

Miller throws a complete-game 5-hitter as BG takes the series opener

By: AKRON, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications)

Junior Meredith Miller fired a complete-game five-hitter, and senior Laine Simmons hit a first-inning grand slam as the Bowling Green State University softball team topped the University of Akron, 4-1, Friday afternoon (April 20) in Mid-American Conference action at Lee R. Jackson Field.

With the win, the Falcons improve to 22-19 overall and 5-9 in MAC play, and BGSU has won four-straight games.

LINKS
BGSU-AKRON STATISTICS: PDF

The Simmons slam proved to be more than enough run support for her battery mate, as Miller took a two-hit shutout into the seventh before the Zips scratched a two-out run across the board. Miller responded by getting the next UA hitter to ground out to third.

QUOTING COACH WILLIS
"(Meredith) Miller threw a great game today and the defense was solid behind her. We came out strong in the first inning, making some things happen at the plate. Laine Simmons did a great job of capitalizing in her first at-bat, with a big grand slam! We failed to keep the pressure on their defense, though, and we will need to find ways of producing runs throughout multiple innings in tomorrow's games."

BGSU-AKRON – HOW IT HAPPENED

The Falcons jumped on the scoreboard quickly, with a four-run first inning. Junior Alex Sorgi led off the game by reaching on an infield single against UA starting pitcher Kayla Kmett. Sorgi promptly stole second, before freshman Sammy Dees drew a walk.
Sorgi took third on a delayed steal, and Dees then stole second. With one out, the Zips threw four wide pitches to cleanup hitter Kali Holcomb, and the 'unintentional intentional walk' loaded the bases for senior Laine Simmons.
Simmons worked the count full, then fouled off a pitch to the right side and another down the left-field line. On the eighth pitch of her at-bat, Simmons lined a ball to left for a grand slam.
Kooper Vertz replaced Kmett in the circle and retired the next two hitters on a foul ball down the right-field line and a liner to right, but the Brown and Orange had a 4-0 lead.
BGSU starter Meredith Miller retired the first eight batters she faced before allowing a two-out bunt single by Madison Carter in the third inning. But, she retired Sydney Jascoe on the very next pitch, ending the inning. That out was the first of six-straight batters set down by the Falcon junior.
The Falcons had at least one baserunner in every inning, and BG had one or more hits in six of the seven innings. The second inning saw junior Kellie Natham lead off with a single up the middle, while Dees reached on an infield hit to start the third. That third inning also saw Simmons single, but the UA defense got an out at third base in each of those two frames to help keep the Zips' deficit at four runs.
In the fourth, junior Kaylee Parker led off with a double to the wall in right-center, and freshman Payton Hamm was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners with two outs, but Vertz escaped the jam with a grounder to third base.
Senior Aspen Searle singled in both the fifth and seventh innings, while Natham walked in the sixth (the only inning in which BG did not have a hit), but Vertz did not allow the Falcons to increase the lead.
For Akron, Jordan Crews singled with two down in the fifth, for just the second UA hit of the game, but Miller set down the next batter to retire the side.
Miller retired the Zips in order in the sixth, but Caitlin Gambone led off with a single in the bottom of the seventh. With one down, Laura Lakins singled through the left side, and the runners would move to second and third on a double steal.
Miller struck out Maddy Clowdus for the second out, but Crews beat out a slow roller to shortstop, with Gambone crossing the plate to end Miller's shutout bid.
That brought the potential tying run to the plate in the form of Sabria Bruton, but Miller got her to hit a grounder toward third baseman Sarah Gonzalez. The BG freshman charged the ball, grabbed it and fired to Kaylee Parker at first base for the final out.

BGSU-AKRON – STATS & LEADERS

BGSU outhit Akron, 8-5, with Simmons and Searle each posting two-hit games. Simmons was 2-for-3 with the grand slam and, obviously, all four of her team's runs batted in.
Searle went 2-for-4, while Dees and Natham each had a walk and a single. Kaylee Parker doubled, while Alex Sorgi had a single and scored a run.
Holcomb walked and scored, and Dees scored a run as well for the Orange and Brown.
For the Zips, Crews was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while three of her teammates had one hit apiece.
Miller picked up the win for the Falcons, allowing one run and five hits in her complete-game effort. She struck out three batters and did not issue a walk in improving to 12-9 on the year.
Miller threw 72 of her 96 pitches for strikes.
Kmett took the loss, allowing all four BG runs and retiring just one batter. She walked two Falcons and gave up two hits.
Vertz allowed six hits, but no runs, over 6 2/3 innings of relief. She walked one batter and struck out four. Vertz needed just 75 pitches to get 20 outs.

FALCON NOTES

BGSU has won four games in a row, the team's longest winning streak in MAC play in just over a year (since April 4-9, 2017).
Junior Meredith Miller has won each of her last three starts, and has an ERA of 1.33 in those three games. She has allowed just 15 hits and one walk in 21 innings during that span.
Senior Laine Simmons' homer was her fifth of the season, and her second in as many games. She also homered in the first inning of the Falcons' second game at Buffalo last Friday. That round-tripper, which came after a Kali Holcomb three-run bomb, also gave BG a 4-0 lead.
Simmons now has hit safely in each of the last six games, and is 8-for-15 (.533) with six RBI during that stretch.
Fellow senior Aspen Searle has had four consecutive two-hit games. She is 8-for-14 (.571) at the plate during BGSU's four-game winning streak.
Freshman Sammy Dees has six hits in nine at-bats (.667) over the last three games, and has scored four runs in that time.
Junior Alex Sorgi has five hits, five stolen bases and five runs scored in the last four games, all wins.
Fellow junior Kaylee Parker is 7-for-12 (.583) with two doubles, a homer and a 1.083 slugging percentage during that four-game stretch.
Junior Kellie Natham has a hit in each of the last four games.
Simmons' homer on Friday gives the Falcons 35 round-trippers on the season. That marks the highest total since the 2012 team hit 46 dingers. The school record for homers in a season is 47, set by the 2007 club.
The current team's total of 35 homers is tied with the 2008 team for the third-highest total in program history.

UP NEXT

The Falcons and Zips are scheduled to complete their three-game weekend series with a Saturday (April 21) doubleheader. The first pitch of game one is set for 1:00 p.m. at Lee R. Jackson Field.
Then, BGSU will close the non-conference schedule with two games in as many evenings. The Falcons host Detroit Mercy on Monday (April 23), beginning at 5:00 p.m. at Meserve Field. The following night (Tuesday, April 24), BG heads to Notre Dame to take on the Fighting Irish in another 5:00 p.m. start.

FOLLOW THE FALCONS

For more information on all things BGSU softball, follow the Falcons on Twitter (@BGAthletics and @BGSUSoftball) and Instagram (@bgsu_softball) as well as on the web right here at BGSUFalcons.com.